As a busy independent community pharmacist, you probably don’t think much about your fixtures and shelves that tirelessly hold your merchandise day in and day out. And why would you when you have so many other things to focus on?
Like any other aspect of running a good business, ensuring that the resources, assets, and environment are aligning with business goals is imperative. When considering fixtures, pharmacies should evaluate their condition, their use, and their flexibility. Recent advances in technology and design have certainly led to some exciting options.
Your shelving and fixtures do a lot to support your business’ success, such as holding your front-end sales and organizing your back-end workflow. Yet, they’re quite often forgotten.
When was the last time your front-end fixtures were updated? If it’s been a while, there are a few revealing signs that they’ll need to be upgraded. It’s important to note that not all parts of a fixture will wear evenly. If yours have become old, broken in any way, or warped, they will reflect poorly on your pharmacy.
“Overall impressions of a pharmacy are often formed by how it looks to customers,” said Dave Wendland, Vice President Strategic Relations at HRG. “Retail store fixtures should be evaluated quarterly, if possible, with more frequent checks for high-traffic areas or during major store changes.”
The shelves will most likely need replacement much sooner than the base or back of the fixture. If your shelves show signs of rust, are bending, have sharp edges, are worn out, or are no longer able to hold merchandise safely, customers will notice. In fact, some patients may associate your pharmacy’s appearance with its level of care.
By conducting a quick in-store audit, it’ll provide the opportunity to gain accurate and complete data on fixture needs and will significantly improve the time spent on execution. Be sure to verify that the store’s floor plan matches the current store layout, and confirm department and wall sizes, fixtures already in use and/or in storage, and the physical attributes of the location (including door and aisle widths, electrical availability, etc.). These are among the essential data elements. Capture details of each fixture element, such as its dimensions and physical characteristics (possibly including images) in a master database.
Reimagine your shelving and fixtures as strategic assets rather than just storage solutions. But instead of static storage, envision them as design elements that will support your workflow and enhance its visual appeal.
Ensure that staff can locate medications and replenish stock easily by arranging and labeling shelving. Modify different areas for the front-of-house patient interactions versus those in the back-of-house operations. It’s a good idea to enhance visual appeal, as well, by updating displays. Select up-to-date, attractive materials and finishes. Make it a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing space that can build trust and confidence.
There are financial benefits when you strategically plan your pharmacy’s major fixture updates. In fact, it’s important that you conduct major fixture updates every eight to 10 years. That way, you can take advantage of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) depreciation schedule. And if you time it just right, it can help offset the costs of this major investment. Conducting regular upkeep will help fixtures last longer.
It’s a large investment to update or replace your pharmacy’s fixtures. For a typical pharmacy with approximately 3,500 square feet, purchasing new front-end fixtures can run up to $40,000 or more. The primary purpose of fixtures and shelving is that they can house products and allow consumers to select those products themselves. The second big thing is that it forms an impression.
Your Options in Fixtures and Shelving
In 2025, pharmacy fixtures and shelving are evolving to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and customer experience. Today’s pharmacies are increasingly opting for modular fixtures that can be reconfigured to adapt to changing needs and inventory requirements. The flexibility allows for cost-effective updates and renovations without major layout changes. Staying flexible is important because you want the fixtures to meet your needs today as well as years to come.
Like any other aspect of running a good business, ensuring that the resources, assets, and environment are aligning with business goals is imperative. When considering fixtures, you should evaluate their condition, their use, and their flexibility.
Choosing the right shelving and storage solutions is an important decision for your pharmacy. It can impact the efficiency of your operations, the safety of medication handling, and overall customer experience. When choosing the best pharmacy shelving and fixtures, consider some of these key factors and tips:
Efficiency of Space: Study the entirety of space available in your pharmacy. Select shelving solutions that will fill the vertical space without cluttering the area. Efficient use of space helps in organizing your products much better and creates a more welcoming environment.
Convenience and Workflow: How will the shelving affect your workflow? Arrange shelves in a way that will allow easy access to commonly used medications and/or supplies. A logical flow from one task to another will reduce the time spent looking for items.
Agreement with Regulations: Be sure your storage solutions abide by all health and safety regulations. This includes secure storage for controlled substances and proper conditions for sensitive medications.
Flexibility: Choose flexible shelving and storage solutions that you can easily adjust or expand as your inventory or business needs change.
Quality and Durability: Purchase high-quality materials that will last a long time. Be aware that durable shelving will be more cost-effective since it will require less frequent replacement or repair.
Following The Trends
In 2025, pharmacy fixtures and shelving are moving more toward a mix of advanced technology, flexible design, and sustainable materials that will improve such things as workflow efficiency, safety, and overall customer experience. Here are the top 10 trends this year:
Smart Shelves
Today’s pharmacies are using smart shelving that integrates sensors, RFID tagging, and real-time inventory systems. This allows for automated stock tracking, fewer errors, and saving time during inventory management. These systems let staff know when supplies are low, which enhances operational efficiency. They also help keep patients safe through careful medication management.
Multi-Functional Shelving Designs
It’s time to say goodbye to the fixed, one-size-fits-all shelving. Instead, modular fixtures allow you to quickly reconfigure layouts to keep up with seasonal promotions or evolving inventory. These designs are flexible and promote rapid adaptation and a flow that supports efficient workflow.
Digital Integration and Interactive Displays
You’ll notice that fixtures are increasingly adding digital components, such as touchscreens, dynamic signage, and QR-code-enabled tags. These help guide customers to products, offer them real-time health tips, and can even integrate with patient management systems for personalized promotions.
loT-Enabled Smart Shelving
It’s becoming quite common nowadays to add sensors into shelving systems. Smart fixtures that monitor inventory levels in real time, trigger automatic reordering and provide usage data, not only streamline operations, but also reduce waste and improve customer service.
Ergonomic and Safety-Conscious Designs
Today’s fixtures are being built with ergonomics in mind, such as adjustable shelving heights, accessible designs for those with disabilities, and safer load-bearing structures.
Sustainable and Eco-Conscious Materials
This is a major focus in 2025 fixtures and shelving. Recycled and renewable materials are what pharmacies are turning to, and manufacturers are using materials that align with sustainability goals while keeping the durability and functionality. This not only supports green practices but also appeals to customers that value environmental responsibility.
Lighting Solutions Combined
In today’s pharmacy, lighting is merging with fixtures to improve both product visibility and ambiance. The adjustable LED systems can highlight key areas or create a comfortable atmosphere. The integrated lighting solutions help improve energy efficiency while also perfecting the customer experience.
Versatile Displays
Fixtures will soon have two roles. So, don’t be surprised to see displays that double as efficient storage solutions. They’ll allow pharmacies like yours to create dedicated areas for both high-turnover products and select wellness items, adjusting configuration based on customer needs and seasonal trends.
Automated Dispensing and Integrated Robots
The new modern shelving systems now often feature integrated compartments compatible with robotic dispensing systems. This minimizes human error, speeds up medication retrieval, and leads to faster prescription fulfillment. This improves patient satisfaction in high-volume settings.
Improved Security and Compliance Features
Enhanced security is a priority with the strict regulations surrounding controlled substances. So, new shelving systems now come with biometric access controls, lockable compartments, and integrated sensor-based alarms. With these features, pharmacies can now meet regulatory standards while protecting their most critical medications.
The Back End
The back end of your pharmacy has its own purpose than your pharmacy’s front end. Therefore, they require different styles of fixtures.
It’s all about productivity, efficiency, and workflow in the back of the pharmacy where the prescription area is located. It should include a combination of high-density shelving to maximize your space. Here are some options to consider:
Modular, adjustable shelving: Modular shelving units that have adjustable heights and configurations allow you to reconfigure storage as your needs change. The metal construction, which is often stainless steel or powder-coated steel, is common because of its durability, ease of sanitization, and resistance to corrosion.
Lockable storage options: Having secure shelving options is important for controlled substances and sensitive medications. Having lockable cabinets or shelves with access control help guarantee only authorized personnel can access high-risk inventory. This minimizes risks and helps maintain compliance with regulatory standards.
Technology-integrated shelving: Nowadays, integrating smart technology into shelving is becoming the norm. Shelves that are fitted with loT sensors, RFID readers, and digital inventory displays can automate stock tracking, alert staff to low stock or impending expiration, and even assist in analytics for optimal replenishment schedules.
FIFO/FEFO-enabled shelving: Shelves in your back end should incorporate the principles of FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out). You can achieve this by designing shelves with a slight angle or with gravity-fed systems that will naturally push older stock to the front. You can also use adjustable dividers or acrylic bin fronts to help segregate different batches. Acrylic bin fronts keep stored products on the pull-out shelves while maintaining visibility, and you can label the bin fronts for improved organization and accuracy. This makes it easier and safer to manage the medications.
The Benefits of FIFO Shelving
More storage capacity
The FIFO pharmacy shelving design is efficient in that it maximizes a pharmacy’s storage capacity and reduces costs associated with storage space. The modern pharmacy shelving’s divider systems ensure that as many products as possible can fit along a shelf while remaining organized and easy to reach.
Less waste
Since the modern pharmacy shelves promote FIFO inventory management, they reduce the unnecessary waste of expired medication. It’s much easier to load the shelves and can be done from the front or back of the shelving units.
Increased efficiency
Pharmacy FIFO shelving makes it easier for pharmacy employees to stock shelves and fill medications more efficiently and with less time and effort.
More organized
It’s easier than ever to organize your pharmacy shelves with FIFO shelving. With pharmacy FIFO shelving, adjustable dividers keep each medication in its distinct slot. This makes it easy to locate and see how much is in stock, and the acrylic bin labeling system saves time and improves accuracy when restocking or filling a medication. The traditional open shelving easily mixed up products and they were crowded together. This made it challenging to find medicine or know when to restock a product.
You can also have pharmacy FIFO shelving custom designed to meet your pharmacy’s unique needs.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
